Food for Snapping Turtles

Snapping turtles eat a variety of food. To provide your snapping turtle with the right diet, you need to find one that includes pellets, vegetables and a protein source. Feeding your snapping turtle the right food will help him continue to grow and to be healthy for the entirety of his life. Snapping turtles do not need to eat every day, but will be healthier if you feed them a general amount of food each and every day so that their bodies do not need to worry about storing and using food as time goes on.

  1. Snapping Turtle Pellets

    • The basic element of your snapping turtle's diet should be his pellets. This is not a natural food source for snapping turtles, but it is important for pet snapping turtles because it has been formulated to give your turtle all of the nutrients that he will need to be healthy. Find a good turtle food in a brand like Waverly or ZooMed. The food should be labeled Snapping Turtle Food, or should be Reptile Food and should list snapping turtles as reptiles who can eat the food. Your snapping turtle needs a small handful of pellets each day. For baby snapping turtles, feed him a handful the size of a dime. For grown snapping turtles, the handful should be closer to the size of a quarter or silver dollar.

    Vegetables for Snapping Turtles

    • Snapping Turtles also need vegetables to be healthy. Lettuce, celery, and carrots most closely mimic what a snapping turtle would be able to find in the wild. Feed your turtle a small amount of shredded vegetable about every three days. Float the vegetables in the water if the snapping turtle doesn't seem to want to eat them dry.

    Snapping Turtle Protein

    • Snapping turtles also need protein sources to be healthy. In the wild, they get their protein from small minnows and other fish, flies and other bugs, and even insects like worms. You can decide if you would like to purchase flies, crickets, and worms from a pet supply store to feed to your turtle, or if you would like to purchase a supplemental food that contains these types of proteins. If you purchase real animals, the temptation might be to purchase them alive. However, snapping turtles do not need to catch and eat their food, and in fact, turtles that have grown up in captivity might not have those skills. Freeze-dried insects are the best if you aren't using protein supplement food. Give snapping turtles protein supplement food once or twice a week.